In 1935, during the NAACP's St. Louis Convention, a passionate and determined youth delegate, Juanita E. Jackson, challenged the leadership of the Association to create a department that focused on the growing concerns of Black youth in America. Through her intelligent leadership, the National Board of Directors passed a resolution creating the NAACP Youth & College Division and named Ms. Jackson its first Youth Secretary in March of 1936.

Today, it is evident that the NAACP is an organization that has developed many powerful, intelligent, young people who are destined to change the world.

About Youth & College

"The Youth & College Division helped me develop as a leader and as an activist," stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock, a former youth member. Over five hundred members of the Youth and College Division have served on our National Board of Directors since the inception of youth designated positions in 1963. The NAACP continues to serve as a fertile training ground for the type of leadership needed in today’s society. Leaders who respect democracy and appreciate community. I am proud that the division is still going strong, and excited about engaging the new front line of the NAACP in the coming years.

— NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock

"The Youth & College Division is important not only because it educates and trains young leaders, but also because of the notable accomplishments of its members," stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, another former member of the division. "The division has seen a renewed spirit of leadership and activism in recent years, evident in the powerful civic engagement efforts like the Upload 2 Uplift and Vote Hard campaigns as well as mobilization efforts led by young people within the Association."